A Criminologist’s Diary-14

Terror Causing 'Isms'

In Dallas, Texas, we have a home of our own and it is in a community having 15 Malayalee families. For THANKSGIVING, we decided to go to Dallas,6 hours' drive from Bentonville. We started at about 9.30 a.m. and had our breakfast on the way in Oklahoma State. Neethie and Martin-they drove the car and we reached Dallas in time. On the next day, a Malayalee friend came to our home. Mary offered him a cup of tea and we had some Malayalam chit-chat outside the family members. He came for collecting a contribution – I.e.,$ 100/- for the X'mas celebrations in that community.He phoned to Martin earlier and came at the appointed time.

I asked Martin:" Do you have contributions?" He said: "Yes, for functions like this in the community". "Fine"-I said and sighed. Martin asked me: "Why do you sigh?" and then I told him about the coercing and compulsory contributions/donations in our State. In my view, they are not contributions or donations; rather in criminological terminology, they are 'TERROR CAUSING 'isms' which is very much different from terrorism. Kerala State is almost saturated with' isms'-namely, Marxism, communism, communalism, Leninism, Naxalism, Goondaism, regionalism, socialism, rationalism and what not? And to them, we may add "terror causing' isms' "too. Some people unknown to us come to our homes demanding compulsory contributions for the political party meetings, demonstrations, conventions; for literary and linguistic activities; for religious festivals; for cultural programmes; for labour union activities; for charitable works and thus goes the litany of needs. The usual modus operandi of these people is to come in groups with printed receipts. They cruelly demand money and if we give less than what they ask, then they look at us harshly- so harshly that we get frightened or threatened. Some utter filthy or foul words whereas some others express them with their body language, eye-contacts, facial expressions etc., and thus we have an unsettling of the human mind. We start worrying whether or not they may damage our property, stone at our home during night hours, handle us on road etc., and thus the terror caused by them is technically called "TERROR CAUSING 'isms' " by me.

My questions areL

1. How do the people in other parts of the world manage their political activities?
   
2. How do the people in other parts of the world manage their literary and other cultural activities? Certainly, they are not via compulsory, coercing, causing terror in people unknown to them. Why can't we follow the same strategy?
   
3. What is the compelling necessity or interest for the people who are no way connected with such activities to contribute money for their party works, festival celebrations, charity activities etc.
   
4. Why do they come-showing no respect to others-without permission and coerce the people to contribute?
   

   Once, I had seen a person dressed well showing his privates when the demanded donations were denied. People who come home to collect contributions by causing terror must be checked by law, if needed. We should not allow vandalism to thrive amidst us in any manner only those interested in special or specific activities may willingly or voluntarily contribute and leave aside those who are not interested or connected. Will it ever happen since it is the politicians and political parties who sponsor such activities?